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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095077">Beautiful Friendships (Or fluffy chaos)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalcatgamer/pseuds/Crystalcatgamer'>Crystalcatgamer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Among Us (Video Game), Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I just wanna give Corpse a hug, No Smut, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt, Self-Indulgent, Shoot Offline TV and Corpse have taken over my life, Social Anxiety, Songfic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, We are all friends here, and tell him I love him, for like one chapter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 03:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,368</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalcatgamer/pseuds/Crystalcatgamer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just idiots being friends. Requests are open, strictly platonic, nothing's romantic guys I know what that looks like (but you can ask for angst no comfort, I love writing it but you didn't hear it from me, okay?) </p><p>First chapter is the rules for requests!</p><p>Give me your prompts in the comments in any chapter, STILL TAKING THEM I NEED THEM</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corpse Husband &amp; Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Everyone &amp; Everyone, Imane Anys &amp; Lily Ki &amp; William Li &amp; Michael Reeves &amp; Jeremy Wang, Lily Ki/Micheal Reeves, Sykkuno &amp; Jeremy Wang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>272</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rules</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantly_anxious/gifts">constantly_anxious</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Heyyyyyy! This is all the rules and limits for the requests you guys have!</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Rules:</strong>
</p><p>ALL PLATONIC, NO ROMANCE OR PROBLEMATIC ONE SHOTS LIKE THAT</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Prefered characters to write (You don’t have to request characters only including them, these are just the few characters that I feel you will get the best quality stories.)</strong>
</p><p><strong>-</strong>Sykkuno</p><p>-Corpse Husband</p><p>-Valkyrie</p><p>-Toast </p><p>
  <strong>All Dream SMP members but especially:</strong>
</p><p>-Technoblade</p><p>-Dream</p><p>-Tommy</p><p>-Ranboo</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>
      <strong>THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID REQUEST, SS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW THE RULES I WILL DO MY BEST TO WRITE IT</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>I have the right to refuse any non-platonic or non-friendship requests, I’m not here to hate on you but I would appreciate if you don’t give me your requests here. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Plants and flowers (Corpse and Sykkuno)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love Corpse so much guys</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Not a request, I just wanted to start things off. Honestly it's worst than I thought since my idea was too vague, that's why I need prompts ;-;</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno patted the plant on his helmet, carefully sprinkling some water on it. Someone had given it to him at some point, and he was devoted to it now. He blinked as a shadow appeared over him and let out a breath when he realized it was just Corpse.</p><p>"You scared me! What do you need?" He asked, looking up at the man. Corpse never took off his helmet, and everyone respected that. Besides, spend 5 minutes with him and you know he's a soft boi.</p><p>"I saw you watering your plant. I like plants." Corpse said, crouching down to see the green plant. Sykkuno beamed, happy to see that his friend was trying harder to interact with others.</p><p>The man was actually rather shy, and had a really deep voice that made it hard to hear. Everyone had been shocked by it, but thanks to Sykkuno's 'anime protagonist' voice and Lily's high-pitched one, they soon accepted it and moved on. Sykkuno always thought that Corpse liked that they didn't focus so much on his voice.</p><p>"I like it when I get the task to water the flowers. I like flowers even more." Corpse continued, fiddling with his fingers. 

"Well, I have that task now actually! Wanna come along?" Sykkuno immediately offered, holding out a hand.</p><p>Corpse considered it for a moment and took it, which Sykkuno couldn't help but feel meant a level-up in friendship. He put back on his helmet, smiling as he lead the way.</p><p>Meanwhile, Corpse was also smiling under his helmet, glad that he made such a amazing friend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sdbadjadbjakbdj I love their bromance I swear so much</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. It’s alright (Lily and Sykkuno)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Prompt: Anxious Sykkuno and comfort (Idk how to feel about this one sorry if it’s not what you wanted!</em> <em>)</em></p><p><em><br/>
</em> Sykkuno sat in Lily's room, watching her talk to her followers. He had just been bored and decided to go see what Lily was doing. He was too lazy to record a video and edit later as well as too nervous to start a stream. Lily was currently drawing something on her tablet.</p><p>"Hey Sykkuno, is it okay if I use you for my art lesson?" Lily asked suddenly, turning to him.</p><p>"U-uh, yeah!" He stuttered and immediately regretted it. Lily motioned him closer.</p><p>"Okay so when I draw you I draw your head, then your scarf. And then..." Sykkuno watched Lily draw his persona.</p><p>"Lily, this looks great!" He complimented, admiring the end result. "It's okay. Now we have to grade them. Just like Scarra did." Lily got a glint in her eye at this.</p><p>They checked the first submission. It was a pretty good drawing, one that was roughly like Lily's.</p><p>"I give it a 85." Sykkuno decided as Lily wrote down the number. "...That one is a 76, that one's a 82, a 65, um..." Lily was staring at him weirdly.</p><p>"Why have you not failed a single drawing?" She asked, folding her arms.</p><p>"B-because their great?" He said limply, confused.</p><p>"That one was your head on a stick figure! Without your scarf and you gave it a 50!" Lily ranted, going back to the drawing and circling it. "Look, chat agrees!' Indeed, Lily's chat was filling up with comments about how he was being too kind in grading.</p><p>"But they are nice!" He protested, giggling slightly. His hand automatically moved to cover his mouth to hide it.</p><p>He hated how his smile and laugh looked. He didn't care what his friends said, it looked weird and he wasn't about to show it to his fans.</p><p>"Whatever. Let's continue." Lily huffed turning back to her tablet.</p><p>Then they came across a hate drawing.</p><p>"What the..." Lily muttered as they studied the drawing. A stick figure, the artist, was pushing Sykkuno off a cliff. There was a note on it too.</p><p>
  <em>'Ugh, why are you here? You're so goddam fake, pretending like you don't know what you're doing. Stop it, it's disgusting and  you're just manipulating people. You don't deserve Offline TV.'</em>
</p><p>Sykkuno read the words, feeling himself go into shock. Lily cursed beside him, instantly giving the drawing a negative 100 and deleting it.</p><p>
  <strong>Why were people like that?</strong>
</p><p>He had heard of people saying about how fake he was being, all nice and soft. But what was wrong with it?</p><p>
  <em> If you were too nice, people hated you.</em>
</p><p>Sykkuno just wanted to play games with his friends and didn't want to come off weird or creepy.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Why did people hate him being nice?</span>
</p><p>He left the room and headed back to his own one, ignoring Lily's calls. He curled up on the floor, slowly sinking into self-loathing.</p><p>No, they were right. Everybody was probably laughing at him now since he couldn't handle just one hate message.</p><p>Lily was probably angry he messed up her stream. Ugh, why can't he do anything right?</p><p>"Sykkuno?" He looked up at Lily's voice. "C'mon, it's going to be okay." The woman spoke, wrapping a arm around his shoulders.</p><p>"Why are people like that?" He asked, sniffing.</p><p>"Because they're jealous. I get them too, all this idiots talking about how I'm faking my voice." Lily huffed, patting his head.</p><p>"Listen, all of us here care about you, and we don't care how you act. I'm sure most of your fans are saying the same. If you open a stream next time prepare for a onslaught of love." Lily giggled and so did Sykkuno</p><p>"Thanks Lily." He replied, feeling better.</p><p>"Anytime. Us Online Tv's are as good as family now." Lily smiled.</p><p>Sykkuno wondered how he ever regretted being a Youtuber, when it meant he had friends like Lily. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Moods and hugs (Lily and Sykkuno)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prompt: Platonic cuddling</p><p>Lily groaned as she rolled over on her bed. She was feeling so bored and tired at the same time. One of the world's worst mood combinations. Too lazy to do anything, yet wanting to something. Not sure how it worked honestly.</p><p>Michael went out earlier, so she couldn't talk to him to pass the time. She huffed, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Temmie ran over, jumping into her lap and yapping.</p><p>"You're a good boy, aren't you?" She crooned, rubbing the dog's head. She sighed and finally got up. She needed a healing hug, or just someone to drape on and whine to in general.</p><p>Lily tiptoed to Yvonne's room, who was unfortunately streaming. She continued on, sweeping the entire floor.</p><p>Then she met her worst enemy: The Stairs. She stared at them for a long moment before practically crawling up them. She sat down and patted Temmie to replenish her energy.</p><p>She went to Toast's room, but he was playing Among Us with Scarra and the rest. She hung around for a bit, watching Toast and Corpse murder literally everyone. Lily waited until they won before leaving and wondered where she should go next.</p><p><strong> I'm so tired,</strong> she thought, yawning. But she had come too far to give up now. She stumbled to Sykkuno's room, pretty much kicking the door down. A quick glance showed he wasn't recording or anything, so she flopped onto his small therapist couch.</p><p>"L-lily? What's wrong?" Sykkuno asked, confusion in his voice.</p><p>"I am here to whine." She looked up, perfectly serious. She watched in amusement as realization hit Sykkuno.</p><p>"Right. What would you like to talk about?" The man asked, also serious.</p><p>"About how unjust the world is. Why, do humans have so many emotions and different ways to mix them? I currently have the blues, so I almost died getting here." She said dramatically, raising a hand to the sky.</p><p>"It is how it is. We are here just to suffer." Sykkuno replied and they stared at each other for a moment. Instantly they burst into giggles, clutching their stomachs.</p><p>"C'mere and give me a hug." , Lily patted the couch as she moved aside. They hugged, relaxing in the warmth of another human being. It was nice to just hug like this.</p><p>Only a few people knew that Sykkuno was a little touch-starved, and the boy was too nervous to mention it. Lily always hated how the world didn't understand the word 'platonic'. It made things significantly harder, especially when they were opposing genders.</p><p>Thankfully everyone in the house understood and even had their own platonic relationships. Lily smiled and patted Sykkuno's head, silently reassuring him in a way only friends could.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Christmas (OfflineTV)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sykkuno burrowed deeper into his sheets, relishing in the warmth. He could tell from when he stuck his hand out that it was cold enough for there to be snow. Thus he was going to stay where he was, even though it was Christmas. Yep, he was going to stay under his covers where it was nice and warm-</p><p>"Wake up sleepyhead!" Lily kicked down the door, bursting in.</p><p>
  <strong>There goes my hopes and dreams.</strong>
</p><p>"Merry Christmas! C'mon, let's eat!" The woman cheered, tugging at his blankets. Sykkuno pulled them back, covering himself. Despite always recording with a blanket wrapped around her, Lily was surprisingly energetic when it snowed.</p><p>"We got hot chocolate waiting for us." The thought of the warm drink made Sykkuno pause for a moment. Then Lily yanked away his covers and he was up for good. He slowly got ready and stumbled downstairs. He ate his breakfast before retiring to the couch.</p><p>"Here's your hot chocolate as promised." Lily handed him a cup of the delicious drink. Sykkuno wrapped his hands around the warm cup, sighing in relief. He sipped it slowly, watching as the rest tromped down to have their food. He finished off his chocolate and was going to head back upstairs when Lily grabbed him.</p><p>
  <strong>Here we go again.</strong>
</p><p>"It's Christmas! At least open your presents!" Lily chided, pulling him to their small Christmas tree with presents under it. The rest came over one-by-one, picking out their gifts and opening them.</p><p>Sykkuno got a beautiful portrait from Lily, a bread plushie from Toast, cookies from Yvonne and more. Okay, maybe he wasn't too sad about being dragged out of his bed now.</p><p>"Snowball fight!" Lily and Michael shouted together, running to get their coats. Sykkuno sighed, going to get his own jacket. He would hate to go out in the cold, but he supposed he could make do just this once.</p><p>He mostly hid here and there, sometimes scoring lucky shots and yelping when someone hit him. At least they were playing in groups, so there wasn't just flurries of snowballs flying in random directions.</p><p>Sykkuno was still traumatized by the last free-for-all round.</p><p>Having sat out of the snowball fight, Yvonne managed to record the whole thing. Everyone laughed at how they had looked like all covered up and agreed to keep it to themselves. They mostly spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around, singing some carols and drawing straws. The last one was to see who were the two that would be forced to go buy food for lunch.</p><p>They weren't about to sacrifice the whole group to go out, and take-outs were cancelled with the snow. Of course, Sykkuno had bad luck, so he went out with Toast to buy some pizza back.</p><p>Thankfully they had bought ingredients for dinner beforehand, so they just needed to start cooking. And then, of course, Lily broke out the alcohol and everyone just drank soju. Sykkuno didn't have more than half a cup since he was a lightweight, though Lily had so much she was fighting over the last bottles.</p><p>"Don't touch my drink!" Lily shouted, cradling  the bottle. "C'mon Lily. You're gonna wake up feeling horrible if you don't stop." Michael said patiently, reaching for the bottle. He and Yvonne were still sober and attempting to end the night because let's face it, they were the sanest people in this house. Toast would be next, but he drank too much already.</p><p>Sykkuno watched his housemates stumble off to their rooms, sipping his nice, safe cup of water. He retreated to his own room too after helping the most sober ones to clean up. He carefully collected his presents and admired them.</p><p>He had started streaming so he could make friends and play games, but he had gotten even more than he thought. He was so glad to be part of Offline TV.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Phone call(Corpse and Valkyrae)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Abdhkwnsixmw Corpse called Rae Rachel during the phasmaphobia stream</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Valkyrae slumped into her chair, tired after a long stream. She tended to stream at night, so she could quickly eat and go to sleep. It was already 8pm, so she decided to order food back.</p><p>She was scrolling through social media when someone called her. It took her a second to recognize the caller ID. Corpse. She fumbled with her phone, hastily answering it and putting it to her ear.</p><p>Corpse had never called her. He didn't usually reach out to her in the first place. She was always the one to send him a random text when she was bored or ask him to join a lobby.</p><p>Rae understood that he had anxiety, and had trouble communicating with someone outside of games. So she did everything to be as welcoming as possible, and make sure Corpse wasn't feeling out of place. Anyway, back to the conversation.</p><p>"Corpse?" She asked, hearing nothing but silence from her phone. There was some shuffling before she heard a familiar voice. "Hey Rae." The words were scratchy, and weren't as smooth. Corpse's deep voice was always hard to discern his emotions from, but did she detect a edge to it?</p><p>"Hey! Why did you call me?" She said cheerfully. There was silence again, and it lasted for a few minutes. Rae didn't end the call, waiting patiently. Her food arrived and she hastily took it from the deliveryman before returning to her phone.</p><p>"Sorry for interrupting your dinner." Corpse said suddenly. "Nah, you weren't really interrupting. Anyway, I'm always happy to chat with a friend. So what's up?" She asked, setting the call on speaker.</p><p>"It's just....ugh, this is so stupid." Corpse groaned, and Rae could picture him running a hand through his hair. "Nonsense! If you hang up on me I will show you no mercy the next time we play Among Us." She warned. She smiled in satisfication when Corpse chuckled at the weak threat.</p><p>"Okay, okay. So...you know about my...issues?" Corpse asked, his voice somehow softer than before. "Yep." Rae softened her tone too, not wanting to scare the man off. This point was crucial.</p><p>"Well, for the past few days my brain decided I should feel horrible and have a bad week. Ain't that nice." Corpse laughed, his voice hollow. "And I just- my arms hurt so bad right now, I could barely call you. I haven't slept more than a few hours in one go, and I just needed to talk to someone and-"</p><p>The man cut off, but she could still hear shallow breathing. Of course, Rae was touched. Corpse had called her instead of Jack, who he had known longer. She quickly pushed away her thoughts and focused on the task on hand.</p><p>"It's fine Corpse. I'm here if you need me. Everyone we know will always be there for you too, okay?" She said gently. "Thanks Rae. But sometimes I feel so guilty you know? I keep thinking what everyone thinks of me, and that they only like my voice or hate me. But then I feel bad because I know everybody are amazing people, and I'm the horrible person." Corpse choked up at this point.</p><p>Rae waited for him to start again and realised with a jolt that she could faint wheezing.</p><p>"Corpse?" She asked, worrying slightly. The man couldn't be having a panic attack, right? Even so, she should probably calm him down just to be safe.</p><p>"If you can hear me, listen. Breathe in and out. Focus on what I'm saying, okay? Don't think about anything else." She said, remembering what she knew about calming people down. She had known someone who had panic attacks back in school, and had researched a bit about it. She scrambled for a story, maybe one involving Jack and Sykkuno since Corpse was closest with them.</p><p>"Right, I'm going to tell you a story, okay? It's about Jack and Sykkuno, and I know the latter raises your serotine levels." That barely got her a chuckle. She launched into the tale, exaggerating it in hopes of making Corpse laugh again. By the end of it Corpse's breathing had slowed down.</p><p>"Thanks Rae. I'm sorry for being a bother." The man said finally. "Corpse. Don't feel bad, okay? You will never be a bother to me. As long as you know deep down we love you, it's fine. You're family now." Rae said firmly.</p><p>"Thanks Rae. I don't know what I had do without you." Corpse whispered. And Rae felt all warm and fuzzy, because character development! In just a few months, Corpse had become like a brother to her, almost as easily as Sykkuno did.</p><p>"Nobody can live without me once they meet me." Rae joked, flipping her hair like the queen she was. Corpse chuckled and said goodbye to her. "Bye too! Oh, and could you join my stream tomorrow?" Rae asked, pleased when she got a yes in return.</p><p>Corpse might be a new addition to her life, but he had become a firm part of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Opposites sing (Corpse and Lily)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not too proud of this, but here ya go</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Prompt:</strong> Corpse and Lily singing</p><p> </p><p>"Corpse!" Corpse started at the high-pitched voice. "Sorry, got lost in thought. What is it?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair. He was currently chatting with Lily over Discord outside of a game, which was rare. The woman wasn't streaming or anything, so he didn't feel too nervous.</p><p>She wasn't trying to use him for content but what if she said something bad since they weren't on camera oh god his head hurt-</p><p>"I said, when are we going to get canon Minecraft Corpse!" Lily repeated, not a trace of irritation in her voice. Corpse relaxed his breathing, shaking away his poisonous thoughts. This was Lily, for goodness sake, what was wrong with him?</p><p>"Um, I don't know. Maybe when I actually play the game. Your server's pretty advanced, and I haven't played Minecraft in a long time, so I'm worried I'll get confused." He replied, rubbing his neck. Minecraft wasn't fun without friends, and Corpse hadn't exactly been swimming in them when he first started playing.</p><p>"You don't have to worry about that! I'm sure everyone would be happy to show you around, especially Sykkuno! He asked you, after all." Lily chirped, a teasing note in her voice.</p><p>Corpse smiled a little at Sykkuno's name, and felt a bit bad that he kept postponing his arrival to the server. The man had been so excited on the idea, rambling about how they could build a house and plant flowers and all that stuff.</p><p>"I'll try, Lily. You'll see me soon, I'm just scared of my fanbase exploding at it." He joked, though he knew it was true. But it made Lily laugh, and the sound calmed him.</p><p>"Oh! Corpse, do you want to sing with me?" Lily asked excitedly, her keyboard clicking. Corpse froze, because he had seen the clip of Lily singing 'Agoraphobic', and while it was amazing Corpse did not want to open that can of worms. She had said it was deep, but what if she didn't like it? He was en-route to full-blown panicking when Lily added something else.</p><p>"It's fine if you don't want to! But a lot of people have been talking about it and I kind of want to see how we sound! No pressure, and you can choose something other than your own songs." Lily said quickly, clearly noticing his silence.</p><p>Corpse muttered a quick 'give a moment' before muting his mic. Was he okay with this? Lily just wanted to sing together, not for the camera but for fun. <strong>It's fine, she already knows the song and it'll be rude to brush her off.</strong> Corpse takes slow, deep breaths before unmuting his mic.</p><p>"Let's sing Agoraphobic." He says finally, thanking the gods that he didn't stutter. "Really? Wait, lemme find the song. This is going to be great!" Lily chattered on and finally found the video.</p><p>"You ready?" And Corpse appreciated the words right there, more than ready to move on if he couldn't. "Yeah, let's take turns." He replied, clearing his throat.</p><p>(Words in italic are Lily's, words in bold are Corpse's. If it's bold and italic, then it's both.)</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Yeah, yeah, hey</strong><br/>
<br/>
<strong>'Cause I can't do shit right,</strong> <em>I can't learn my lesson</em></p><p><br/>
<strong>I can't do shit right,</strong>
  <em> take anti-depressants</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Illness and welfare robbed my adolescence</em>
</p><p><br/>
<strong>My friends probably hate me, can't answer a message</strong>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Filled with anxiety, always be hidin' me</em>
</p><p><br/>
<strong>Feelin' inadequate's always what's driving me</strong>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Not a role model, that's not what I strive to be</em>
</p><p><br/>
<strong>Can't go outside, I'm afraid they be finding me</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Paranoid 'bout my privacy, yeah</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
<strong>And they always askin' questions 'bout my face,</strong> <em>can't relate</em></p><p><br/>
<em>Fuckin' caught my own reflection,</em>
  <strong> broke a mirror the other day</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Got a fuckin' date with death, on house arrest 'til trial date</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Got a lot of bad shit that I'm taking to my grave</em>
</p><p><br/>
<strong>So I grab the red wine, on rainy days and then I pour it</strong>
</p><p><br/>
<em>'Cause I'll age another fuckin' thousand days before I know it</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>
    <strong>Yeah, I'll spend 'em all inside, waste my time while I'm scrollin'</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>But I love when it rains 'cause I'm agoraphobic</strong>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<em>
    <strong>Aight, these lines are the last one you'll get</strong>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<strong>I'm not okay,</strong> <em>I'm not okay</em></p><p><strong>I'm not okay,</strong> <em>I'm not okay</em></p><p><br/>
<strong>What's the point?</strong> <em>I'm not okay</em></p><p>
  <strong>What's the point?</strong>
  <em> I'm not okay</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>This shit is fuckin' difficult</strong>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>Corpse sank into his chair because he's just so<em> exhausted</em> but he's hyperaware of what Lily is going to say next.</p><p>"Corpse, that was amazing! We sounded so great!" There was a smug note in Lily's voice. "True, true." He chuckled. They did sound pretty good right there.</p><p>"And Corpse...We're always here if you need us, okay? Even if you can't, just know we're waiting." Lily said softly, and even Corpse's fucked up brain knows that's concern, not pity. He swallows and a smile creeps onto his face.</p><p>"Yeah. I know. Thanks." He chokes out. He's so lucky to have met everyone he knows right now, and he's happy just because of that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the long wait guys, I've been busy, and school is starting soon *cry*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Texting and Facetime (Corpse and Sykkuno)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Corpse and Sykkuno text and no one can change my mind</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Prompt:</strong> Corpse comforting Sykkuno <em>(This is really bad okay I'm so sorry about the quality and quantity *cries* .)</em></p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno curled up on his bed, rocking back and forth. He didn't understand why he was so anxious. It was just a stream, nothing big, just going to talk in front of thousands of people without editing, yep. Sykkuno groaned at where his thoughts had wandered. He grabbed his phone and typed a quick message. He had an hour until his stream started.</p><p><strong> Sykkuno:</strong> Hey Corpse!</p><p><strong>Sykkuno:</strong> How are you?</p><p><strong>Corpse:</strong> Hey Sykkuno</p><p><strong>Corpse</strong>: I'm doing fine, thx :)</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno smiled at the trademark smiley face and sent an reply.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Sykkuno:</strong> Whatcha doing?</p><p><strong>Corpse</strong>: I was contemplating the meaning of life</p><p><strong>Corpse</strong>: Then I got depressed but then you came to me like some kind of light</p><p><strong>Sykkuno</strong>: Uhhhh thx I guess haha?</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno scratched his neck, wondering if the man was joking. He jumped as he phone started vibrating. Corpse was calling him! Facetiming him! They had facetimed an few times, though Sykkuno never saw Corpse's face. He respected that and didn't push. He hastily accepted the call and ran an hand through his hair.</p><p>"Corpse?" He asked nervously, seeing nothing but black. "Hey Sykkuno." Came the reply, deep and smooth. Sykkuno smiled, automatically reaching up to cover his mouth.</p><p>"How're you doing?" Corpse asked, the camera shifting to an white ceiling. "I'm doing great! I have an stream in an hour though, gonna play Minecraft. Speaking off which, you should join our server!" Sykkuno reported cheerfully, propping himself up.</p><p>"I know, I know. Lily's been asking me about it. Sorry, but that might take an while." Corpse replied, the camera shifting again to an white wall. "No no no, it's completely fine! No worries Corpse." Sykkuno quickly reassured, not wanting his friend to feel pressured.</p><p>"Actually, I'm feeling kind of nervous right now. You know that feeling when you know you're going to start an stream with thousands of people? Yeah, I have it right now. It's weird because I stream a lot, but I still get nervous." Sykkuno rambled, quickly changing the topic.</p><p>"Yeah, I know that feeling. Wanna just talk?" Corpse asked softly.</p><p>"Yeah." Sykkuno replied. And talk they did.</p><p>They shared stories, how Sykkuno met Offline TV, how Corpse hated tinfoil, how girls are definitely into you Sykkuno and so much more. Sykkuno felt his worries sooth away, calmed by Corpse's constant voice. In the end they had to stop because it was almost time for his stream.</p><p>"Feeling better?" Corpse questioned. "Yep. Thanks for being here Corpse." He said happily, getting ready for his stream. "Anytime. I'll always be here for you, you know? Anxiety is a bitch that keeps coming at you, but I'm more than happy to help kick her away." Corpse continued, earning an wheeze from Sykkuno at the phrasing.</p><p>"Uhhhh thanks Corpse! And I'm here for you too, okay? Always." Sykkuno laughed, his tone getting more serious at the end. There was silence for a few moments, and Sykkuno wondered if he had overstepped an line.</p><p>"Thanks Sykkuno. You don't know how much that means to me." Corpse said finally, turning his camera to face him. Sykkuno gasped, even though he could really only see half of Corpse's face, part of which was covered by an mask.</p><p>"W-wow, I was not expecting that, I mean, you look awesome! I'm just surprised because you look even better than I thought and oh god-" Sykkuno blushed at his rambling, covering his face. Corpse laughed, and Sykkuno thought about how the man had an nice laugh.</p><p>"I guess this means we have leveled up in friendship, right Corpse?" He asked hurriedly, once his blush faded. "Of course we did. You're an awesome friend, Sykkuno." Corpse replied instantly. Sykkuno smiled and they both exchanged goodbyes. He started his stream and joined the Discord call, talking excitedly to chat.</p><p>He was still glowing, and Sykkuno didn't mind one bit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry guys this sucks</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Depression and panic attacks (Corpse and friends)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>T/W PANIC ATTACKS, DEPRESSION, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED</p><p> </p><p>There’s comfort though</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took so long why did I try to connect this to a song. </p><p>SONG: Anxiety by Blackbear</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Prompt:</strong> Corpse having a panic attack </p><p><br/>
</p><p>
  <em>(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)</em>
</p><p>Corpse, unfortunately, woke up feeling like shit. At this point he would rather not wake up at all.</p><p>
  <em>(Every time you cross my mind, you get right under my skin)</em>
</p><p>An face swam into view as a voice giggled, far off in the distance. Corpse freezes up, face going into shut down mode at the memory. Then he shakes himself out of it, drowning it out with the urge to cough. That cough would kill his throat, considering how they were now.</p><p>
  <em>(Am I crazy, out my mind, this situation I'm in)</em>
</p><p>Everything hit him now, washing over him as the pain filled his entire body. He could feel his arms and immediately wished he couldn't as every twitch brought pain. His throat was dying, begging for water but Corpse could barely fucking move.</p><p>
  <em>(And it gets harder just to breathe, feel like the walls are closin' in)</em>
</p><p>His breath was going rapid now as he clenched his fists, desperate for the pain to drown out the panic. It does, thankfully, and he endures it. He gets up slowly, his body groaning in protest as he stumbles to the bathroom.</p><p>He promised Rachel - <em>it felt strange to call her by her real name, but it was nice, an reminder that the woman is his friend</em> - that he would play that raft game with her and Sykkuno and the others. He needs it, needs the comfort and the affection they give him so easily, the reassurance that he isn't worthless.</p><p>
  <em>(But all I need is some closure)</em>
</p><p>He was almost used to it, an soothing balm that smothered him in a good way. He doesn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't have them. Also, he would rather not let them down.</p><p>
  <em>(Yeah, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I get anxiety)</em>
</p><p>He gulps down some water and chokes down some bread, trying to gather as much energy as possible. He slumps into his chair, noting he only has a few minutes until it's time to join, since he overslept.</p><p>He waits for his computer to power on, yanking on his eye patch at the bright screen. He's getting excited, happy at the thought of seeing his friends. He was sad at disappointing his fans since he wasn't streaming, but he - <em>amazingly</em> - stuffed the thought away.</p><p>
  <em> (I can't eat, I can't sleep, don't know why you can't see)</em>
</p><p>Corpse pulled out his phone, typing out a quick message.</p><p><strong>Corpse:</strong> Hey Rae, add me to the call</p><p><strong>Rae:</strong> Corpse! Hold on. He hesitates before deciding to fuck it and type out another message.</p><p><strong> Corpse:</strong> I'm not feeling too great, but I can play. I'll try to last until four.</p><p><strong>Rae:</strong> Are you sure you don't want some rest? You don't have to feel pressured, you know.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Corpse smiles, reading the worry in her message. Corpse: It'll be fine. I promise I'll bail if it gets bad. He quickly joined Discord, accepting the call and met with voices. Rae, Sykkuno, John, Abe and Jodi. They all greet him, so excited and happy that he's here, and it's amazing.</p><p>
  <em>(You give me, you give me, give me anxiety) </em>
</p><p>He needs them and wants them and doesn't deserve them at the same time. "Hey guys." He replies, entering their server and inspecting the game.</p><p>"Oh right, here's how to play. C'mon, I'll show you.." Rae rambles on and he follows, copying her. It's a pretty simple game, so he mostly just catches fish, grabbing floating objects and checking on the water. It's fun when an shark comes around, and Corpse jabs it with his stick.</p><p>"How is it Corpse? Is this fun?" Sykkuno asks, ever the considerate person.</p><p>
  <em>(Every time I smile while I'm doin' fine, does it show?)</em>
</p><p>"Of course it is. Anyway, I'm playing with you and the rest, aren't I? How could I not have fun?" Corpse's saying the truth, but at the same time his eye itches and his arms tremble slightly. A chorus of awes come from the rest but Rae marches over.</p><p>"Did you just put me as 'the rest' Corpse? How dare you! I invited you, so stop making me feel like a third wheel!" Rae rants and instantly Corpse is laughing, not even minding how hard it is on his throat. Sykkuno is spluttering while the others laugh, adding their own teases.</p><p>
  <em>(Then my heart drowns out my thoughts, my head's about to explode)</em>
</p><p>And Corpse loves it, loves how Rae can make him laugh even now and how Sykkuno came back to make a retort. Watched them argue good-naturedly. Listen to the others complain about actually doing work. He loves them all.</p><p>
  <em> (What I need is some closure)</em>
</p><p>So he does his best to hang on. Every time he wants to say stop, his mind rebels, telling him that was letting his friends down. It was stupid, because Corpse knows his friends would never be bothered by him but right now his fucked-up brain doesn't care.</p><p>
  <em>(I, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I get anxiety)</em>
</p><p>He wants a million things right now, but he doesn't dare ask for more lest he lose what he already has. Even though they could be given effortlessly Corpse hates the thought of being so needy. Hates that he hates it.</p><p>
  <em> (When you're not here with me, I get anxiety)</em>
</p><p>He curls his hands into fists, letting the pain clear the haze in his brain. He cranked up the volume because his ears felt like they were being stuffed with cotton, and he needs to hear his friends. He talks, trying to be goddam normal and his usual self.</p><p>
  <em>(You give me, you give me, give me)</em>
</p><p>He's fucking worthless, and he's going to end up worrying his friends when he finally bails.</p><p>
  <strong>(Anxiety~) </strong>
</p><p>It hurts, and everything is so blurry and someone please get him out of this hellhole <em>makeitstopmakeitstop</em></p><p>Corpse was making horrible choked noises as he wheezed, wishing he was <strong>deaddeaddead</strong> it felt like he was drowning and yep he was dying all right, and who was talking was that</p><p>
  <em> (Every time I smile while I'm doin' fine, does it show?)</em>
</p><p>"Corpse! Corpse! Are you okay, oh my god it's going to be fine, breathe with me Corpse, breathe." Rae was saying urgently, and the sound somehow pierces through his agony. He remembers the voice that helped him before and clings to it, holding it close and trying desperately to listen. The raging inferno started to die out, and his breathing slowly evened out. He jammed his head between his knees, gasping for sweet, sweet air.</p><p>"Corpse? Are you feeling better? It's been five minutes." Sykkuno asked worriedly as Corpse waited for the pain to slowly dissipate. Five minutes? It had felt like an eternity.</p><p>
  <em> ('Cause' I'm really freaking out, too scared of letting you go)</em>
</p><p>"Just- Please keep talking." He choked out, desperate for something to anchor him to the real world. Thankfully they don't ask questions and keep talking, occasionally making sure he's okay as they exchanged stories. It helped so much, to have pillars to lean on right now. Then a thought struck him that made him go cold.</p><p>"Are you guys...still streaming?" He asked, mind going wild with humiliation at the thought of the world knowing about his issues in real time. There were probably clips of it circling the internet, mocking his weakness. The majority would support him or relate, but many would still be so fucking ignorant and roll their eyes.</p><p>"No, we stopped our streams a while ago. You were spacing out, so when you started having an panic attack I told everyone else to stop their streams. It's okay Corpse. We're here." Rae says softly.</p><p>
  <em> (I can't eat, I can't sleep, I get anxiety)</em>
</p><p>His heart wrenched at the trouble he must have caused, and apologies are spilling out of his mouth and he's such an fucking idiot.</p><p>"Corpse." Abe says, his voice firm and cutting him off. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. We are your friends, and we don't mind helping you through your panic attack. That's way more important than some stupid stream." They all agree, reassuring him.</p><p>
  <em>(When you're not here with me, I get anxiety)</em>
</p><p>It was such a relief, hearing those words from them and off-camera, warming him from head-to-toe. He doesn't deserve them, he's worthless and a waste of space, what was wrong with him STOP. Corpse screamed at his brain, gripping his chair. And miraculously, it does.</p><p>
  <em> (I can't eat, I can't sleep, don't know why you can't see)</em>
</p><p>He's still hungry and tired and  feeling like shit, but his brain isn't hammering all those points in. It's so quiet, so normal that Corpse smiles at the thought. "Thanks guys. You're all such amazing friends. Every last one of you that I met. Love you all." He says softly, relaxing into his chair.</p><p>
  <em> (You give me, you give me, give me anxiety)</em>
</p><p>"Corpse, my heart is melting. Virtual hug, and we love you too." Rae swoons dramatically, but there was a tenderness in her voice. "Yeah! I love you too, I mean as a friend of course, oh god why am I like this-" Sykkuno groans at his awkwardness.</p><p>
  <em>(Anxiety)</em>
</p><p>Corpse chuckles at this, even if it burns his throat. The rest chime in too, saying they love him. Corpse feels a weight lift off his chest, something he hadn't known he would ever let go. He's so, so lucky to know all these people and cherishes it.</p><p>
  <em> (Give me anxiety)</em>
</p><p>"Right guys. I'm going to lay down for a while. I could sleep for days." Corpse stretched, wincing. "No problem! I don't think we want to start our streams either,   or else we'll get bombarded with questions. We'll talk about it when you're ready to join us, okay?" Rae said cheerfully.</p><p>"...Yeah." Corpse replied softly. They all left, and he practically crawled back into bed. He burrowed under the soft covers, going over what had happened. </p><p>His friends had been there to help him through his panic attack. They hadn't freaked out or ran away and instead comforted him. It was amazing. He loved them so much, and they did too. </p><p>He drifted off into sleep, the thought wrapped around him.</p><p>
  <em> (Anxiety)</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me trying to low-key connect this chapter to chapter 5 yes</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. DREAM SMP: [RANBOO AND BADBOYHALO]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>No prompt, just me sharing my love for the Dream SMP</em>
</p><p>Ranboo fidgeted, nervously peeking at the demon next to him. Badboyhalo was pretty scary-looking, but he was really nice. He even had a no swearing rule! Tommy liked to break that rule just for fun though. Also, he didn't have pupils, so it was slightly easier for Ranboo when they made eye-contact by accident. He couldn't be sure that Bad was looking directly at him.</p><p>Ranboo wondered why the demon was here, in the overworld and living among humans. Bad wasn't an hybrid, so he shouldn't have any attachments to humans. …Maybe he got kicked out because he was too nice?</p><p>"Hey Bad, why do you live with humans?" The question was out before he could stop it, and quickly shut his mouth. Bad was silent, causing Ranboo to wish he could just sink into the floor.</p><p>"Well, I'm not exactly your average demon, you know?" Bad chuckled, but there was regret in his tone. For not being enough like his kind, even though he didn't  have the conflicts an hybrid would have. Ranboo felt for Bad in that moment, a rush of empathy swelling up in him.</p><p>"So I decided to wander off. Demons do that a lot, so I just got a farewell from my parents. One day, I found a way to here. Out of the underworld and into the overworld." Bad stood up, looking around. "And I found humans."</p><p>Ranboo listened, captivated. This was an important moment for Bad, and he wasn't sure whether the man had told anyone about it before. Maybe Skeppy?</p><p>"We don't know much about humans, only that they thirsted for blood and would hunt us down. But all I found were scared villagers that begged me to spare them."  Bad said softly.</p><p>"Eventually I realized that if I went to a city, then I would get hunted down. So I hid my demon features, travelling around and trying to make sense of the world. Humans are so strange, always fighting an constant battle, small or big. A lot of them sink their teeth in and refuse to let go until someone gives. But it's the people that forgive, the minority that sooth and are so kind that fascinate me."</p><p>Ranboo nodded, understanding. Everyone had been so nice to him, even though he was just an humanoid hybrid without a drop of human blood in him. Sure, Dream and Technoblade were scary, but everyone had been so happy to see him. It was one of the warmest welcomes he had ever received.</p><p>"Anyway, I heard of a special place, where hybrids and non-humans could live in peace with other humans. It sounded impossible, but everyone said it was true. The country was called Dream SMP, ruled by a god." Bad said, sitting back down.</p><p>"It was dangerous, because people feared the place, feared that we would break lose and be unable to stop us. Because we weren't human. But they stayed away, and we all had the best life people like us could live."</p><p>
  <em>"We didn't expect a war to come from within." </em>
</p><p>"L'manberg. It started everything. Dream lost himself somewhere during the constant fighting. He's the shell of a man that once was, and now he's just a god that sees what we do fun. I don't really mind, the Badlands' motto is to keep the chaos going. It's in my blood, despite how nice I know I am. But it hurts sometimes, seeing how the war affected everyone. Tommy got exiled. Wilbur's dead. So much stuff happened, and I think everyone should just let go. Manberg isn't good anymore, it's just an excuse for people to vent out their anger. We should have just let it go." Bad buried his face in his hands, his tail curling around him.</p><p>Ranboo froze, unsure of what to say. No one had ever said so much to him before. It was so heart-wrenching, because Badboyhalo was meant to be the happy one. The one that had clear motives and cared about everyone. The one to provide some sort of normalcy for them.  And he was breaking down before Ranboo.</p><p>He hesitated for a moment before hugging the man, patting his back awkwardly. Suddenly he was crying too, hating how fast the world had changed, leaving them to pick up the pieces.</p><p>"I hate this so much, why can't everyone just get along? Choose friends, not sides." He sobbed. "I know. They can't see anymore, it's just them versus whoever threatens them." Bad whispered back, hugging him tightly. They separated after a few moments, smiling faintly.</p><p>"Ranboo? The Badlands will always welcome you. Don't be afraid." Badboyhalo, a demon, said to the Enderman hybrid before him. Ranboo nodded, watching the demon walk away, humming softly to himself.</p><p>He was content, and his head didn't feel like it was tearing him apart anymore. He let out a breath and wandered off, wondering if he could go find Tubbo.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. We got each other (Toast and Sykkuno)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Request by HannahBuns, thanks for the prompt! I really enjoyed writing Toast.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Prompt:</strong> <em>Toast dealing with the bottled-up emotions he should really deal with.</em></p><p> </p><p>Toast was the voice of reason. Despite his strange tendencies and the lengths he went for clout, he was a important part of Offline TV. He didn't stand out like the rest did, usually hanging back with Scarra.</p><p>Toast was a calculating man. It was the best and worst part of him. It was very useful when it came to growing his channel and playing Among Us. But sometimes it made it hard for him to express his feelings. He would see everyone's troubles and automatically push down his own.</p><p>He hated that he hadn't seen what Fed had been doing right under his nose, hated that he hadn't been able to help his friends before it was too late. He didn't talk to anybody for days after Fed was fired.</p><p>Sykkuno walks into their life, and Toast can't help but feel protective of the man. He hates all the people that say Sykkuno was just faking his 'soft uwu boi' personality. He wasn't, and even if it was, so what? The man wasn't hurting anybody, and who cares if most of his subscribers were female and simps?</p><p>They don't see how little confidence Sykkuno has, how he stutters at every compliment because he doesn't get them very often. How he second-guesses himself, thinking of others first and not telling others his concerns.</p><p>Toast does his best to draw him out, and it is fun to tease the man in a round-about way and watch him realize what Toast just said. But Toast was still so tired. He wants to let out all his feelings, but he's the anchor of the group.</p><p>The one that goes to ridiculous lengths, who doesn't really have a problem. He doesn't want to burden people.</p>
<hr/><p>Toast had been tired the day Sykkuno cried. He hadn't noticed how Sykkuno was killed first every round, how close the man was to tears and had instead shouted at him. He regrets it now, as clips of Sykkuno crying circulated the internet.</p><p>The man had yet to leave his room. They left food outside, and sometimes it was eaten. Everyone was worried, and Valkyrae had apologized on speaker through Lily's phone. There had been a muffled "It's okay, Rae!" but nothing else. That was yesterday.</p><p><strong> Alright,</strong> Toast thought, <strong>I'm going in.</strong> He left his room and knocked on Sykkuno's door. There was only silence, and Toast decides to resort to Plan B.</p><p>"Are you decent? I wanna come in and would rather not see you with no pants on." Toast called, and a choked sound from inside the room confirms Sykkuno's status as alive. "Like, I have a few times, and Poki said you stream without pants on so I assume you're used to it and-"</p><p>The door swung open to reveal a flustered Sykkuno, blabbering protests. Worked like a charm. Toast had already strolled into the man's room before he realized that he had been tricked.</p><p>"H-hey!" Sykkuno shouted as Toast looked around. Toast smiled, but it withered away at the mess in the room. Sykkuno had always kept it neat and tidy, keeping his few possessions in the right place. Now clothes were on the floor, the rubbish bin was overflowing and various other items were lying around.</p><p>"You can't just barge in!" Sykkuno huffed, folding his arms. Yep, about as threatening as a puppy. "You opened the door for me." Toast reminded, plopping into a chair. The man deflated and puffed up again, a look of defiance in his eyes that Toast isn't sure to be proud of or worried.</p><p>"Sykkuno you have been in here for three days and barely talked, all of us are worried, okay!" He interrupts whatever the man was going to say. "You're our friend, but I was a shitty one who didn't notice you were stressed even though it's my job!" Sykkuno froze, staring at Toast. Toast sighed, slumping and gesturing for Sykkuno to take a seat next to him.</p><p>"I'm really, really sorry that I shouted at you Sykkuno. It's what me and Rae usually do, and we didn't realize that you were already stressed out." Toast said softly, staring at Sykkuno. The man fidgeted nervously, staring at the ground.</p><p>"I should have known, you're a bit like me actually. We keep thinking about others and don't bother them with our troubles, bottling it up until we burst." Toast rambled on, remembering how Sykkuno had said <em>'I just wanted to make everyone laugh.'</em> before ending his stream. His heart breaks a little every time he sees that scene, hears the hurt in his voice.</p><p>"What do you mean you're like me?" Sykkuno's question breaks him out his reverie. Toast pauses, mentally going through his words and blinking. Fuck.</p><p>"Nothing, just some stuff I misspoke, Toast doesn't have feelings haha." Toast backtracked, getting up to leave. Sykkuno grabs him by the wrist, a stubborn look in his eyes that Toast wants to take a picture of for future blackmail.</p><p>"You said you bottled up feelings like I did. Are you okay, Toast?" Sykkuno asks, concern in his voice. And damm it, he was here to talk to Sykkuno, not get Uno-reversed. They lock eyes and Toast groans, sitting back down.</p><p>"You know how I'm just like, chill? Not Scarra chill, I just do what I want." Toast started, getting a nod from Sykkuno. "Most of the time I do that because I'm trying to lighten the mood. Everyday, Sykkuno, I'm keeping track of people, noting their mannerisms, their emotions. Which is why it surprised me when I didn't notice yours. I didn't notice your stress. And well, I guess I don't notice my own. I ignore my own problems and help people instead, just like you." Toast gestured wildly, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.</p><p>It felt good to let it out, to tell someone about his internal struggles. Sykkuno was nodding enthusiastically, clearly understanding and deflating as he realized what it meant. Toast couldn't help but crack a smile at that.</p><p>"U-um, maybe we could talk about it a bit more?" Sykkuno suggested nervously, which was such a Sykkuno thing to say, trying to help him. "Promise to talk to each other about our pent-up emotions?" Toast asked, extending a hand. Sykkuno giggled at the phrasing and clasped their hands together, shaking it.</p><p>"Yep." There was a firmness in the man's voice. Sometimes it seemed like the wind could blow over Sykkuno the soft uwu anime boy, and then his eyes harden and it's like nothing can touch him anymore.</p><p>They talk a bit more, venting some stuff and complaining about their haters. It was nice and pretty relaxing, having someone who understood.</p><p>Toast dragged Sykkuno out and was met with cheers of relief. The man was pampered for the rest of the day, along with some lecturing from Lily. But they were happy, and that's all that really mattered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> And if anyone noticed how Toast and Sykkuno stuck together a lot more, then they didn't say anything.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A picnic (THE AMIGOPS)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Four best friends having a picnic three feet apart cuz they need to eat</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Switched between all their POVs, not balanced at all obv but I love it but also<br/>HOLY SHIT GUYS THIS IS JUST TOOTH-ROTTING FLUFF YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>No prompt I realized I didn't write the amigops at all and that's just unacceptable </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valkyrae hummed, tapping the wheel of her car. She could not wait to reach her destination, considering how long she had been driving. It was worth it, considering the people she was meeting with. She finally arrived, getting out of her car and stretching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Rae!" She hears a shout and spins to see two familiar men walking up to her. "Sykkuno! Toast!" She greeted, hugging the former tightly. "You are the picture of an anime protagonist, my child." She said seriously and Sykkuno choked on air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"R-Rae! Don't say that!" The flustered man stuttered as Toast patted his shoulder. "Accept your fate, Sykkuno." Toast says with his trademark deadpan expression and Sykkuno buried his face in his hands. Rae lets out her barking laugh, ruffling the man's hair good-naturedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is Corpse here?" She asked finally, and both men shook their heads. "He said he's coming in a few minutes." Sykkuno said, checking his phone.  They all knew this was a big step for Corpse, actually meeting up with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stepping out of his comfort zone, as he had put it while they were on a call together. It had just come up, while Rae mentioned she wanted to visit Sykkuno and suddenly the whole gang was getting together. Rae hummed, wondering how this was going to go.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Corpse pulls up in the carpark, spotting his friends instantly. He shoots Sykkuno a text and they all look in his direction. He cringes behind his black-tinted windows, resisting the urge to leave. They had been planning this for weeks, and he wasn't about to let them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had chosen this park because it was secluded, and Toast had already staked out a hidden grotto that no one had bothered to find. They were going to have a nice picnic and Corpse would be fine. He breathes in deeply and exhales, opening the car door. He adjusted his mask, a beanie pulled low over his eye as he peeked at his friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rae perks up instantly, jumping up and down excitedly. Sykkuno tries to calm her down but still gives him a sweet smile while Toast waves with his usual calm expression. He relaxes, walking towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey." He greets and Rae smiles even wider. "Your voice sounds even deeper in real life!" She replies cheerfully and Corpse melts at the oh so familiar voice. The way that it didn't make him interpret it as an accusation because it's <em>Rae.</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nice to see you, Corpse!" Sykkuno says and his voice is just as soothing in real life. "Whaddup baby." Corpse replies and everyone cracks up as Sykkuno blushes, stuttering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good to see you Corpse." Toast nods and they all know how special this moment was. Corpse hesitates, then tugs down his mask to give them a smile. Rae squeals, throwing herself on him and Corpse chuckles, relishes the human contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had made the right choice.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Toast unpacks the basket, hands out the food and they all pick their favorites. Rae stakes her claim instantly and Corpse goes for the sandwiches. It's fun, and unlike how he knew Sykkuno had  feared they always kept up a steady stream of chatter. Talking about each others' hobbies, tastes and oh god, the flirting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Corpse seems to have expanded his comfort zone way more, because he shamelessly flirts with Sykkuno. And of course Sykkuno the anime boy blushes and stutters, seemingly unable to fight back. But sometimes he shoots back, leaving Corpse speechless for a moment before the man starts giggling away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Rae would meet his gaze with dead eyes and then they started laughing too. Toast relaxes in the peacefulness of it, listening to Rae's laughter and seeing Corpse's awed smiles and Sykkuno just radiating joy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They've become a close-knit group with strong bonds and inside jokes to rile up their fandom before he knew it. Toast wouldn't trade it for the world. He's happy, in this little world of theirs and wasn't going to let anyone ruin it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sykkuno laughed, this time not raising a hand to cover his mouth. He was so relaxed, basking in the joy of his friends. They had finally all met up. He knows how hard it had been for Corpse to drive all the way here and meet up with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sykkuno doesn't know the full extent, but he does know that the man had severe anxiety. So he tries his absolute best to make him as comfortable as possible. The man pulls a fast one on him though, continuously teasing him and Sykkuno is even more flustered because they're face-to-face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But sometimes he recovers and becomes Chadkkuno, returning the compliment. He joins Corpse with his giggling and then Toast and Rae join in until they're laughing like there's no tomorrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Sykkuno loves it, loves the way they all seem to fit together like a puzzle. To be so utterly comfortable in each others' presence and get along so well. Sykkuno isn't one for such things, but he wonders whether they were all actually platonic soulmates and just didn't know it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because he has felt the same sense of happiness when living in the Offline TV house. Poki's laughs, Scarra and Toast's dead inside expressions, Lily's soft singing, Yvonne being tired and Michael's tendency to be a little feral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pets roaming around and the coziness in the house. But they didn't have the same sense of home and security and comfort that wrapped around Sykkuno now, melting him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A whisper of <em>friendsarethefamilyyouchoosetheyloveyoudoyouknowthat</em> comes with a breeze, curling around all of them and they fall silent, staring at the sunset. They had talked for so long that it was nearing night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all quietly packed up, deciding to stay at a nearby hotel rather than driving all the way back home at this time. They take Rae's car and decide to pick up Corpse's car tomorrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toast drives, Rae sitting in the front seat and tapping away on her phone. Tweeting about their picnic probably. Sykkuno sits in the back with Corpse and at some point his head rests on the man's shoulder. Corpse leans back and they thread their fingers together like they've been doing it all their lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sykkuno feels so safe and happy in this beautiful moment and hugs it close to his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Amigops were family, not by blood but by choice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And you honestly couldn't ask for a stronger bond.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I got really sentimental near the end if you couldn't tell</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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